A4e's Roy Newey has been getting excited about business prospects in Saudi Arabia and Latvia. But back in Britain the Radio 4 "Report" on the Work Programme brought out the fact that we can have no figures and no real idea of what's going on. It seems that the contractors are being deluged with clients and don't have time to do anything constructive with them. But they can still earn money. Some of those clients will get jobs - what Chris Grayling called the dead weight figure - owing nothing whatever to the private companies, but those companies will still get the payment.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
No news, good news and questions
It's all quiet at the moment. As always, a subject is in the news for a while then drops out as if it had never been. G4S is advertising for an ESF Project Manager for the new contracts and has published its plans for the different regions. They don't seem to include Families Unlimited. Meanwhile the Working Families Everywhere website carries news, dated 13 September, of the Advisory Board meeting on 6 September, and promises to publish the minutes of the meeting when they're available. Should be interesting. But are we to assume that Emma Harrison's pet project will go ahead even when the ESF contracts are awarded? Will it just be volunteers, the paid people having been sacked or sent over to the contractors; and where will those volunteers stand in relation to the contractors?
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"Will it just be volunteers, the paid people having been sacked or sent over to the contractors; and where will those volunteers stand in relation to the contractors?".. I wonder if they will use volunteers from a4e to do this?
ReplyDeleteFrom what i have seen its the same courses as last time, and the time before. and its the same people where i live. There is a reunion kinda deal now.
Apparently the job centre will not do a job search on their systems, since you are on the work program. Dont know if thats just me or my local job centre But it you be very interesting if it is nationally
ReplyDeleteBut can you go in and search yourself?
ReplyDeleteYes, it was when you go to sign on they used to look on the system while you waited It would take 5 mins if that for them to look on the system.
ReplyDeleteBut apparently they are not allowed to do that now you are on the work program. You can't take your job details to the staff there, you have to phone the call centre.
Its just curious that they are not doing that part of their job anymore.
Anon: Has your jobcentre told you officially that they will no longer be doing job searches for Work Programme particpants?
ReplyDeleteThey never did a job search for me every time I signed on - even before the Work Programme - so I can't say I've noticed any difference. It tended to be 1 in 2/3 signings they would do a quick search
I went in and i said i generally budget my time, 10 minutes on the system looking for jobs. and she said since i was on the work program she cant do a job search on their system. It would be interesting if they did stop.
ReplyDeleteDon't know where you are Anonymouse but I am now on the WP (first interview with A4E in a couple of weeks) and I have just been told by the JC that they will no longer do job searches for me, not that they did many anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt's because that's what A4E are being paid to do, ie they will find me a job, the job centre are just there to make sure I turn up every 2 weeks and sign.
You can go in and search on the machines yourself, but the staff will not help you with anything. Any problems and you have to get your A4E advisor to deal with it.
So if the job centres only job is to sign you in every 2 weeks they wont need the staff how much education and training do you need to get someone to sign a piece of paper?
ReplyDelete(I live near liverpool).
The Jobcentre staff have much more to do than that, and they've seen their workload increase while their numbers have dropped. Remember that before people are sent on the WP they rely on the JCP staff for help and advice.
ReplyDeleteIn my job centre there are the people who do the weekly signings and then there are the people who do the long term signings (between the weekly signings and being put on the WP), and then there are the WP people.
ReplyDeleteAt least that's what it seems like. You have two dedicated staff there whose only job is to deal with WP clients.
(I'm in the south of the country)
So is that why I've just been to sign on, given my job search into a bloke who got me to sign it and then just posted form in box and told me to come back in a fortnight with new completed form? I wanted information on a job and yet the room was full of other people hearded in like sheep waiting for the only woman in the buiding who could help? It now could take longer than ever if you are actually doing what you say you are doing and looking for work! At least the old system was better as you had your own time slot and could ask questions and get answers you actually wanted!!!!
ReplyDelete